This paper reviews the existing body of research on the relationship between communication apprehension (CA) and nonverbal behavior. The strengths and limitations of three different approaches are considered. Contextual approaches are studies of CA and nonverbal behavior in which the primary focus is on communicative context (public speaking,…

This research review sought to discover the forms of family verbal interaction that nurture language development in infants and toddlers, the function of different family members in this process, and the role of environmental factors in language development. Results indicate that speech to a child is significantly different from speech to an…

This study considered three hypotheses: (1) cultures differ in the extent to which they represent infants as capable of vocal communication; (2) mothers' models of infant communication are influenced by their experiences in school; and (3) mothers' models of infant communication affect maternal responsiveness during the first 6 months of the…

Speech communication teachers of Latino students and non-native speakers of English experience problems in accomodating these students in mainstream monolingual-monocultural classrooms. Earlier research about these students shows that they have low perceptions of their communication competence, and high communication apprehension when speaking…

A study investigated whether, when second language learners engage in second-language interaction, opportunities to comprehend and produce the second language are conditioned by their gender and/or the correspondence between their gender and that of the interlocutor. The interactions of a native speaker (NS) and a non-native speaker (NNS) in same-…

The development of a common instructional language used by teachers and administrators to describe their beliefs about student learning and to coach other teachers can be an important factor in the adoption of instructional change. This investigation of the relationship of language, belief, and practice is the culmination of a historical analysis…

Advocating the case study method as a valuable learning tool in the study of interpersonal relationships, this paper discusses how case studies can be used as the major research project in interpersonal communication classrooms, requiring students to study the communication of an ongoing relationship for the course of the semester. Following a…

Perhaps responding to a new awareness of the problems of American Indians, South Dakota Governor George Mickelson issued an executive proclamation declaring 1990 the "Year of Reconciliation." Dakota Wesleyan University responded to this proclamation by participating with the Mitchell Area Vocational-Technical in establishing a…

This study was a joint undertaking of interior environmental designers and a child developmentalist. The goal of the study was to increase peer interation between children in two classes held in one classroom. Children were observed for 7 weeks, in three periods: weeks 2 and 3 (time 1); weeks 4 and 5 (time 2); and weeks 6 and 7 (time 3). Observers…

Empathic listening is central to almost all human communication processes. "Feeling with" another is the heart of empathic listening: it includes a cognitive understanding of what the other is communicating plus a sensitivity to their state of emotion. One possible approach to utilize in the teaching of empathic listening is to begin a…

The uses and gratifications paradigm, like the initial conceptions of media effects, can be viewed as a compatible elaboration of contemporary social and political theory. The fundamental assumptions of the uses and gratifications approach, particularly the assumptions regarding the nature and extent of audience activity and the ability of the…

A review of literature in the speech communication field from 1978 to 1983 reveals developments emerging in the area of forensics, while a review of the contributions to theories of debate analysis reveals advances in both policy systems theory and in hypothesis testing. Although much of the research is directed toward forensics educators, it is…

A definition of intrapersonal communication is needed that will encompass noncognitive elements and thus allow for a broader range of research methodologies. One possible definition is the physiological and psychological decoding, processing, storing, and encoding of messages that happen within individuals at conscious and nonconscious levels…

Recurring questions on the discipline of speech communication include whether it is in fact a discipline, whether it justifies its own department, and what job prospects await speech communication graduates. These questions are not unique, but are taken very seriously by most administrators when evaluating speech programs. Reasons underlying most…

Several factors have contributed to the increased demand for corporate speechwriters, including the consumer and environmental movements, the economy, foreign competition, and a negative public attitude toward business. Corporate speeches serve a variety of purposes: promoting a corporation within a business community, providing information on…